Prefabricated door frames and door jambs



Sept. 6 1955 R KATZ PREFABRICATED DOOR FRAMES AND DOOR JAMBS Filed D80. l2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNE Y,

R. KATZ PREFABRICATED DOOR FRAMES AND DOOR JAMBS Filed DeC. l2, 1949 vsept. 6 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 g '.fg.

INVENTOR.

ROBE/Pf /f/l 7' Z man A T7' ORN E Y.

UnitedStates Patent- O PREFABRICATED DOOR FRAMES AND DOOR JAMBS This invention relates to Prefabricated door frames and door jarnbs.

The invention has particular reference to narrow stile doors and jambs for such doors. The door frames and door jambs to which the present invention is applicable are made of tubular and channel metal stock of conventional cross-sectional shape. There is no need in the present invention for the employmentof special materials or of materials in special shapes and sizes.

it is a principal object of the presentinvention to provide a door frame and a door jamb which may be fabricated of conventional, readily obtainable material such as extruded aluminum tubing and channels.

Another principal object of the invention is the provision of a door frame and door jamb of the character de- Jwed which may be Prefabricated at the factory and yet readily altered at the job to meet its individual requirements. ln other so-called prefabricated door jambs, the door posts and top rail are fabricated andfastened together at thefactory, and it remains for the worker at the job to attach the door sill or saddle. Very frequently this proves to be a diflicult -piece of work, especially where the door hinges are to be mounted in the top rail of the door jamb and in the door sill. The diilculty does not reside merely in laying the sill but rather in aligning the hinges. In the present invention, the door jamb is completely prefabricated, in that its stiles are connected not only to the top rail but also toy the saddle. Alignment of door hinges becomes an, exceedingly simple proposition since it is accomplished `by precision methods at the factory. All that is left to do at the job is to installthe door jamb.

The door is also wholly prefabricated at the factory as is the hinged fanlight. The door jamb may be .varied in height at the job to meet theindividual requirements of the job. This may have the effect of'varying the height of the transom. The fanlight may, therefore, also be varied in height at the job to correspond to the height of the transom opening.v Both the door jamb and the fanlight have adjustable top rails which may be moved upwardly or downwardly, as desired and as required. The stiles both of the door jamb and of the fanlight may b e cut to appropriate size by simply sawing off excess lengths thereof. Insofar as the stiles of the door jamb are concerned, excessive or superfluous length or height is not at all times disadvantageous, and 1indeed it may well be found that there are decided advantages, at least in the present invention, in door stiles which are taller or longer than needed. They simply project into the wall or ceiling structureand they are thereby all the more readily and securely fastened in place.

Door jambs and fanlights or transoms which are veasily fitted at the job provide marked advantages over door jambs and fanlights or transoms which must be prefabricated to size. Smaller stocks may be carried at the warehouse and fewer sizes maybe fabricated at the factory. A door-jamb that may be valtered i'n-heightfrom a fraction of'an inch to three feet at the'job is certainly a more verice satile proposition than a prefabricated door jamb which is built to a given size and which cannot be altered even slightly at the job. After prefabrication, the entire unit may be supplied to distributors in knockdown condition and so occupy less space in transportation and in storage. Y Another important object of this invention is the provision of a prefabricated door and door jamb of the character described in which the hinge plates are hidden from view and are fastened internally ofthe door and door jamb stiles for convenience in installation. At the present time, cut-outs must be mortised in the door and door jamb stiles from the outside to accommodate the hinge plates. This calls for a considerable amount of work either at the factory or on the job and the resulting appearance of the construction is not wholly favorable. In the present invention on the other hand, means are providedfor fastening thehinge plates through a slot to the insides of the door and door jamb stiles so thatvery little is needed to install the hinges beyond inserting the hinge plates in their proper locations and screwing them into place.

In addition to concealed hinge plates, the present invention also provides concealed fanlight brackets or supporting arms for holding the fanlight in any desired position. In conventional constructions, these supporting arms, brackets or chains are exposed to View and to that extent, they detract from the appearance of the entrance as a whole.

The fanlight or transom may be placed on either side of jamb so that all conditions can be covered by'two stack units instead of four.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings purely by way of illustration and certainly not by way of limitation, in which:

Fig. l is a front view of a prefabricated, adjustable door jamb made in accordance with the present invention, including a transom.

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof. p

Fig. 3 is a vertical section therethrough as well' as through a door and a fanlight mounted therein, all drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4`is a perspective view of one end portion of the top rail of the door jamb, and it is also a perspective View of the` top end of one of the door jamb stileswith which it mates.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary front View of 1a corner of the fanlight or transom.

Fig. 6 is a top view of said corner.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view therethrough on the line 7 7 of Fig, 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary inside View of one ofthe Stiles of the fanlight looking in the direction of the arrows on line 8 8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through a door jamb and door made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. lO is an enlarged,I fragmentary side edge view of o ne of the Stiles of the door jamb .and the adjacent stile of the door, showing the upper hinge fastened thereto and showing the slots in saidy stiles for the plates of the lower hinge.

- Fig. l1 is a fragmentary View of one of the stiles showing how the hinge plate is concealed and fastened therein, said View being on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig'. 1 2 is a sectional View on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10 showing'v the hinge plate mounted yon the inside of the stile.

Fig. 13 is a top Vend vieW of the hinge used in the present invention.

This invention consists of three main parts: the door jamb 2 0, the door 21,` and the fanlight 22. Considering the door jamb first, it will be noted that it comprises a pair of Stiles 30 and 31, respectively, .a top rail 32, an intermediate rail 33 and a sill for saddle 34. The sill or saddle is aihxed by means of machine screws 40 to a pair of brackets 41 and said brackets are affixed by means of rivets 42 to the stiles of the door jamb. (See Fig. 3.)

The intermediate rail 33 is fastened to the twov stiles 30 and 31 by means of a tie rod 4S which extends through said intermediate rail 33. The tie rod projects at both ends into the two stiles and said projecting end portions threadedly receive nuts 46. A plate 47 abuts the inner Wall of each stile and nuts 46 bear against said plates. These plates 47 are initially bowed slightly to provide spring tension against the nuts 46. A clip 48 is attached on the inside of each end of intermediate rail 33 for strengthening and reinforcing purposes, and it will be noted that said clip abuts that wall of the stile against which plate 47 and nut 46 bear. A hole is formed in the opposite wall of each stile so that the tie rod may be inserted therethrough and also the nut may be reached therethrough. A plug 49 lls the hole after the intermediate rail 33 has been fastened in place.

Vertically extending stop beads S are provided on the inner facing walls of stiles and 31 in the transom area and are centrally located. Horizontally extending beads 51 are fastened to the upper wall of the intermediate rail and to the lower wall of the top rail. (See Figs. l, 3 and 4.) Top rail 32 has a pair of cut-outs 53 formed in its two ends and it will be seen from the arrow in Fig. 4 that these cut-outs are designed to accommodate the vertical beads of stiles 30 and 31. Hence, a sliding fit is provided between top rail 32 on the one hand vand beads 50 and stiles 30 and 31 on the other hand. The top rail may be raised or lowered to any desired or required position. It may then be fixed in said position by means of pointed set screws 55 which are mounted in the top rail for engagement with said vertical beads 50, a thread boss 52 being provided on the inside of the top rail 32 to provide a good thread bearing for the set screws. It will be noted in Fig. l that the top rail may be fixed in place below the top ends of stiles 30 and 31. The upwardly projecting end portions of the stiles may be cut o', if desired, or they may be permitted to extend into the wall or ceiling construction immediately above the door jamb. f

It will be observed from the foregoing and from Figs. l to 4 inclusive, that rails 32 and 33 and stiles 30 and 31 are made of tubular material, preferably extruded aluminum alloy tubing which is rectangular in cross-section. This is stock material and is readily available in normal times. The sill or saddle 34 may also be made of extruded metal of thetype which is suitable for the purpose. Angle brackets 41 may be made of steel or other strong material.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the width of the door jamb is determined by the length of rails 32 and 33 and sill 34. These rails and the sill may be cut to any selected or predetermined size, and it will, therefore, be understood that a virtually limitless number of door jamb widths may be had in accordance with the present construction. Insofar as height is concerned, that is determined by the position which top rail 32 occupies with respect to the rest of the door jamb construction. It may be raised or lowered, thereby lengthening or shortening the door jamb correspondingly. (See arrows in Fig. 1.)

Vertical stop beads and horizontal stop bead 61 may be provided in the doorway of the door jamb, as Fig. l clearly shows. These stop beads are designed for the purpose of receiving the door and providing Stop limits therefor.

Door 21 is also made of extruded aluminum tubing of conventional shape and size. In Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view of top rail of the door is shown. It will there be seen that said top rail is made of rectangular tubing of which the top wall 65a is beveled. The Stiles of the door are made of similar tubing and the outer walls thereof 4 correspond to beveled wall 65a (Fig. 9). The bottom rail 66 of the door is also rectangular in cross section, and' it has a pair of downwardly extending flanges 67 which approach sill 34 of the door jamb. Both the top and the bottom rails of the door as well as the Stiles thereof are provided with angle portions 68 against which the glass pane 69 rests. Removable beads 70 are fastened to said rails and Stiles on the opposite side of the glass pane to hold said pane in place. Shock or vibration insulating material may be used, if desired, to cushion the glass pane against the shocks and -vibrations normally encountered in the normal use of a door. Weather stripping of any desirable form may also be used to seal the joints between the glass and the door frame.

The manner in which hinges are attached to the door frame and the door jamb is unique. Aligned slots 76 are formed on one stile of the door frame and corresponding slots 77 are formed in the corresponding stile of the door jamb. One slot in the door frame and one in the door jamb are provided for each hinge. It will be noted that these slots provide access for the plates 75a of hinge 75 to the inside of the tubular members which comprise said stiles. (See Fig. 9.) Tapped holes 75b are prof vided in the Vhinge plates and registering, counter-sunk holes are formed inthe stile walls. Screws 79 may then be used to affix said hinge plates to said stile walls in the manner shown in Fig. 9. It will thus be apparent that the hinge plates are concealed within the tubular stiles and thatall that remains visible are the barrels of the hinges.

Reference to Figs. 9 and 13 will disclose the fact that hinge 75 is conventional in every respect except that its two plates 75a are spread fairly widely apart. In conventional hinges, these plates'would normally come together in abutting parallel relationship. Plates 75a on the other hand are parallel only when they are spaced apart. The spacing of these plates should bear a definite relationship to the combined thickness of the two walls of the stiles to whichy they are fastened. There is, of course, one additionaldifference between hinge 75 and conventional hinges, and'that is in the use of tapped holes in the plates of the present hinge, as contrasted with the drilled or punched holes of conventional hinges.

It will be understood that if desired, a oorhinge of the Rixson or other type may be used instead of or in addition to hinges 75. 1f hinges 75 are omitted, then the slots 77 arelikewise omitted.

Turning now to the'fanlight 22, itvwillbe noted in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, that the top and bottom rails 80 and 81, respectively, and stilesk82 are made of extruded channel stock, preferably aluminum. A glass pane or light 84 is fitted into said channel-shaped rails and stiles in conventional manner, as Fig. 3 clearly shows. Stop beads 85 fastened to the rails land stiles of the doorjamb serve as stops for the fanlight, and these stops are centrally located so that a fanli'ght or a transom may be mounted on either side of them. The fanlight may be hingedly connected along its lower rail to the intermediate rail 33 of the door jamb by means of hinge 87. The fanlight may have a ange 88 formed at the top of its top rail 80 for the same purpose for which bevel 65a` is pro vided on the leadingedge andtop stile of the door. Flanges 89 maybe provided on the sides of the stiles of the fanlight for the purpose of concealing such brackets or arms as may be used to x the position of the fanlight relative to the transom opening. Instead of a hinged fanlight, a stationary transom' .may be used. Or, if desired, a light of glass may be kinserted directly against the beads 8S and be secured by'beads as shown at 70.

The top rail of the fanlight or transom may be slidably disposed with respect toits stiles. A block 90 lis fastened to top rail 80 by means of a screw 91. This block has a reduced portion- 90a which projects into the channels of the stiles of the fanlight or transom. Said blockv also has a pair of shoulders 90b4 whichV `slidalaly abut the vinwardly turned ilanges 82a of stiles 82. U-shaped channel member 93 is slidably mounted on the inside of each stile 82 and a screw 94 allixes said channel member to the inwardly projecting portion 90a of block 90. When said screw loosely engages said block, both the block and the channel, as well as rail 80 are free to move slidably relative to stiles 82. When screw 94 engages the block tightly, they are xed against such slidable movement. It is in this manner that the height of the fanlight or transom may be varied in accordance with individual requirements and preferences. When it is desired to reduce the height of the fanlight or trapsom, the top rail 80 is lowered and then clamped in place by means of screws 94. The upwardly projecting ends of the stiles are then cut olf so that they may be ilush with the top rail.

The foregoing is descriptive of a preferred form of this invention, and it will be clearly understood that this form may be Varied in many Ways within the broad scope of the invention. For example, the specific shape of block 90 is not critical nor is the shape of other parts of the construction hereinabove described. All that is required is that the shapes of these various parts correspond to the functional needs of said parts as above described.

It will be seen from the foregoing that door jambs and doors which are prefabricated at the factory, may be shipped knocked down to assembly plants, and thus occupy considerably less space in transportation and in storage, and that these units may be re-assembled with unskilled labor and without the use of any special tools or difcult work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new aud desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An adjustable door jamb, comprising in combination, a pair of stiles, a vertically extending stop bead on each stile, a top rail adjustably connected to said stiles for movement vertically thereof in either direction, a sill aixed to the lower ends of said stiles, a fixed rail secured to said stiles intermediate the sill and the top rail to constitute the top of a door frame, said adjustable top rail being slotted at its end portions to accommodate said stop beads for guiding its vertical movement of said stiles and a pair of set screws in said rail positioned for engagement with said stop beads to fix said rail in place relative to said stiles.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,696 Bohn Aug. 18, 1931 1,844,361 Himmel et al. Feb. 9, 1932 1,867,046 Zinser July 12, 1932 1,981,538 Balch et al. Nov. 20, 1934 1,995,764 Bohnsack Mar. 26, 1935 2,237,493 Martisius Apr. 8, 1941 2,245,351 Mittleman June 10, 1941 2,284,012 Paca May 26, 1942 2,377,427 Kessler June 5, 1945 2,454,523 Philip Nov. 23, 1948 2,619,687 Kahn Dec. 2, 1952 

